#LA #PleaseShare: Do you remember where you were at 4:31 a.m. on January 17, 1994? Depending on where you were, you were either in a nice toasty slumber, or you popped right out of bed, heart racing, and your survival instincts took over. Friday, January 17, 2014 marked the 20th anniversary of the Northridge 6.7 magnitude earthquake. Earthquakes are an inconvenient truth we have to accept living with in California. More recently, earthquakes have even occurred in Cuba and Canada. I’m sure some of you have experienced a few rumbles here and there, but we’re long overdue for ‘the big one’, whenever that may be. At the Tuesday, January 14 Council meeting, we discussed the next steps towards better preparing the city for a major earthquake. Councilmember Englander introduced Dr. Lucy Jones of the United States Geological Survey (USGS), who will advise Mayor Garcetti for a year on a survival plan for the city on issues such as retrofitting buildings, protecting the water supply, keeping the public properly informed, and other such issues in the event of a catastrophic episode. A great way to prepare yourself is to get involved with the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) program. The program works in collaboration with the Los Angeles Fire Department and provides ‘all-risk, all-hazard’ training for civilian volunteers so that they may be educated on safety protocols for disasters. CERT members may also complement first responders in times of need. It’s definitely a worthwhile, free program to take advantage of. Learn more about the CERT program and find upcoming trainings here. We have some gorgeous architecture in Los Angeles. When you look at the majestic downtown skyline or jazzy Hollywood hotels and restaurants, it’s discouraging to think that these buildings, and the housing for the community around these areas, may not survive an earthquake. As I discussed in my interview with Warren Olney of Which Way, L.A.? in October 2013, the city cannot stand idly by any further. Although we never got the list of potentially at-risk buildings from UC Berkeley, that’s not a cause to delay the research that needs to be done. In my motion regarding retrofitting older concrete buildings, I asked that the Board of Public Works collaborate with the City Attorney to gather data on which older concrete buildings require retrofitting and identify via City records the accuracy of such data and report with recommendations and necessary ordinances to address safety and city liability issues. The item has been referred to the Planning and Land Use Management Committee. I’ll keep you posted on what develops. In the meantime, please refer to these disaster preparedness resources: • American Red Cross, Prepare SoCal •The USGS’ ShakeMaps site has maps that provide close to real-time maps of ground motion and shaking intensity following significant earthquakes. • My Safe LAs Drop, cover, hold on video • The Great California Shake Out
Posted on: Sun, 26 Jan 2014 20:00:01 +0000
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